Technical Field
This invention relates generally to dispensers for volatile fluids, such as products for air freshening, mosquito abatement, and/or drain cleaning, and their use.
Background
Air freshening, and/or masking of unpleasant odors, is commonly done in certain enclosed environments, such as bathrooms and automobiles. A typical air treatment includes introduction of a masking fragrance, or scent, into the environment. Known devices for introducing a scent or fragrance into the environment on-demand include aerosols, which may be hand operated when a need is detected.
Some devices may automatically dose the environment over a desirable period of time. Certain such devices require an additional source of energy, such as devices that are plugged into an electrical outlet to operate a warming element. Other devices are structured to off-gas, or sublimate, under the ambient conditions of the environment in which they are deployed. One such device includes a puck of mothball-like material that can be placed into a urinal. Another air freshener includes a fragrance-soaked ornament that is structured to hang on a rear view mirror of an automobile. Typically, such a device produces an initially strong fragrance that steadily diminishes over time.
Introduction of scent may also be performed during certain processing operations, such as when drying articles of clothing in a mechanical clothes drier. For example, it is known to include scent as a dry component carried on a disposable sheet of substrate that also is structured to reduce build-up of static electricity.
It would be an improvement to provide an air freshening material and device that can dispense scent to an environment automatically over a period of time in excess of about 14 days without requiring an additional energy source, and optionally provide an additional function, such as drain cleaning. Desirably, the improved air-freshening device will produce a substantially constant level of detectable fragrance in the environment over the desired time increment.